BUMPER BLOG (UPDATED)

First, a big discovery was made on Tuesday that I feel I have to share with you all.

During a visit to the beach with my wife, daughter and mum, we had lunch at one of those traditional fish and chips restaurants. As a creature of habit I’ve always ordered rock eel as I don’t like picking out bones on other fish, but there is now a new kid in town on the Myers’ menu – skate. I would recommend to anyone that likes rock eel, but hasn't tried skate, to give it a go as it is similar with no small bones, a lot larger and is beautiful.

With the important stuff out the way (!), its down to business and the Cheltenham Festival performance ratings.
For those of you that use the ratings as a guide then there is plenty to explore from last week with a view to Aintree and even next year’s Festival from an ante-post perspective. Overall, it was a quality four days with the majority recording above-par ratings, while the placed runners should never be ignored - the hidden jewels that don't enjoy Cheltenham, but prefer Aintree, can often be found here.

SUPREME NOVICES’ HURDLE – Go Native 73

ARKLE TROPHY CHASE – Forpadydeplasterer 80

CHAMPION HURDLE – Punjabi 85

TROPHY HANDICAP CHASE – Wichita Lineman 75

BALLYMORE NOVICES’ HURDLE – Mikael D’Hagueret 80
(note, two of the five winners of this were successful at next season’s Cheltenham Festival)

RSA CHASE – Cooldine 84
(note, two of the five winners of this were successful at next season’s Cheltenham Festival)

CHAMPION CHASE – Master Minded 91

CORAL CUP – Ninetieth Minute 70

CHAMPION BUMPER – Dunguib 72

WORLD HURDLE – Big Buck’s 90

FREDDIE WILLIAMS (RACING POST) PLATE – Something Wells 71

TRIUMPH HURDLE – Zaynar 74

GOLD CUP – Kauto Star 95

JOHNNY HENDERSON CHASE - Oh Crick 68

COUNTY HANDICAP HURDLE – American Trilogy 71


MIDLANDS NATIONAL – Russian Trigger 69

From a punting viewpoint, it was a profitable week in the Myers household, courtesy of Zaynar (11/2), who fitted the trends extremely well, and I hope some of you also punted it following the trends preview I did here.
The previews I did last week were also a good example of how I go about using the information from the book, which may help some of you that have contacted me about how to make a short-list.

Trends don’t work all the time, and some of the previews I did at Glorious Goodwood last year never found a winner, but when they do work the rewards can be big, as proven by Something Wells, who was third on my short-list and scored at 33/1.
I’ve stated here on a few occasions the importance of backing several in a race that may fit the trends if the prices are right instead of just one selection, which can lead to missing out on a winner. There’s nothing wrong with backing four runners in a race at, say, 5/1, 8/1, 12/1 & 25/1. The name of the game is profit.

There were plenty of losers that I backed too, like Ashkazar, who bombed in the Champion Hurdle - something amiss - and I was a bit annoyed in missing out on Punjabi as he was an above-par winner of the Punchestown Champion Hurdle in April 2008 (see page 156 of the book), a race in which five of the six winners have now gone on to win at next year’s Cheltenham Festival - it's always easy after.
Make sure to keep any eye out for the 2009 winner in a months’ time.

Something else I noticed about the Festival, which I’m sure most of you would have also realised over the years, and that is the woeful record of Tony McCoy.
Bar his heroics on Wichita Lineman, he never had another winner, and his record at the last six Festivals reads just 8 wins from 120 rides for a loss of -£83.37 to levels. No doubt this is due to Jonjo O’Neill’s poor record at the same fixture, but it’s worth bearing in mind for next year – may be lay all Mcoy’s rides, which would’ve shown a +£12 profit last week.

On a whingeing note, I was disappointed with the Post’s spotlight for Madison Du Berlais in the Gold Cup, as his form figures at Cheltenham prior to his eighth on Friday were a poor 36735. Cheltenham is clearly not his track, but the spotlight team failed to highlight it – oh dear!

There are no trends races from the book for the next fortnight until Aintree, but the Flat action gets underway, so without wanting to sound like a salesman, make sure to order a copy of Racing Trends Revealed Flat 2009.
I'm unable to attach a link on this site to access samples from the new book, but feel free to leave your email on here, along with a few Flat races of your request, and I can send them so you can see the changes I've incoorporated from the previous book.

TOP OF THE FORM

My troops from the Top 20 performed well at the Festival, wit several winners showing a clear level profit.

I’ve changed things this week as the eyecatchers list was getting time consuming to maintain, plus nominating the right horse from a race isn’t always easy, as American Trilogy proved last week from the Sandown Hurdle that I nominated several others! Instead I will keep a very short-list of horses that I’ve mentioned in the RFO, which are ‘must back’ material next time. Dubai Storming, number four in this week’s Top 20, was given too much to do at Lingfield under Spencer on Saturday but deserves another chance in a stronger run race.

Here are several races currently hovering outside the Top 20:

January 31, Wetherby, Handicap Chase won by Glimmer Of Light -
3 wins from 10 runs

Febraury 15, Leopardstown, Novice Chase won by Cooldine -
3 wins from 6 runs

February 11, Kempton, Handicap won by Princess Cagliari -
3 wins from 6 runs

February 27, Wolverhampton, Claimer won by Quince -
2 wins from 3 runs

February 17, Southwell, Novice Chase won by Best Actor -
3 wins from 6 runs

February 28, Kelso, Handicap Hurdle won by Description -
2 wins from 7 runs